In the last few weeks, The Desert Sun and other media outlets have devoted news coverage to an encampment that had developed along state-owned land on Highway 86. About 70 homeless individuals made makeshift shelters out of cardboard, tamarisk trees and tents. Caltrans warned those in the encampment for weeks that they needed to move on, expressing safety concerns as the land was overrun with trash and bio-waste and simply not fit for living.

It may have appeared that the process of clearing out the site took a matter of days. However, the work to help those at the site was actually a months-long process that continues today — and it is reflective of what we can accomplish when all of the valley’s service providers work together.

The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission (which operates a full-service shelter providing 300 beds in Indio) and Path of Life Ministries (which is contracted by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments to run CV Housing First) were part of a collaboration that started meeting in mid-March to address the encampment.

At the time, Caltrans was anticipating clearing out the site by the end of March. The service providers — along with the city of Coachella and Riverside County — pledged to Caltrans that, with a short extension, we could better connect those on-site with services.

Caltrans agreed with the approach, and a clearing date was pushed back to May 1.

Damien O'Farrell Path of Life Ministries(Photo: Courtesy)

Many of those at the encampment were leery of our offers of assistance. Building trust between providers of services and those at the encampment was critical, but it proved very time consuming. We maximized efforts during that time, showing up at least twice a week to assess individuals’ needs and distribute basic supplies and water.

This dedication by our outreach teams paid off.

We helped more than 40 people get identification cards or birth certificates. More than half used CVRM for showers, clothing and medical services. We also connected a few with family through by providing bus passes. We provided some with temporary and permanent housing solutions, and others with hotel vouchers. We also connected two veterans to services they were due.

By the time that Caltrans came to clear the site, everyone had been connected with a place to go through our partners.

Our work didn’t stop there. CVRM and Path of Life and our partners continued to provide case management to ensure that the individuals can move on to a sustainable, permanent housing situation. Our team has provided individualized solutions for each unique situation.

We will continue to walk alongside those who are willing towards this pathway to permanent housing.

The encampment was a concentrated and high-profile effort. But we’re conducting outreach like this daily across the Coachella Valley as part of the collective effort to end homelessness. There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to addressing the issue and we appreciate our collaborative partnerships.

By working together, like we did to help those at the Highway 86 encampment, we can help get everyone in the Coachella Valley onto pathways to permanent housing.

Those needing services should contact CV Housing First at (760) 601-5424 or CVRM at (760) 347-3512.

Darla Burkett, CVRM Executive Director, can be reached at dburkett@cvrm.org. Damien O’Farrell, CEO of Path of Life Ministries, can be reached at doFarrell@thepathoflife.com.